Greek Shellfish Stew

I got this recipe from Sara's Weeknight Meals show on PBS. I made a few adjustments like most of us do, based on what we already have on hand at home.
You remember Sara Moulton?
She used to have a show on the Food Network but her real job was Executive Chef for the now defunct Gourmet Magazine. I do believe shes the GMA Food Director or something like that.
I like Sara. She's unpretentious, shes sincere and shes very likable. She has a new cookbook being released this year as a companion follow-up to her Weeknight Meals book. I hope PBS does a new show on her new book.

Anyways........Micheal Psilakis was a guest chef on her show.
I really like him as a chef and personality and since I LOVE LOVE LOVE seafood I had to put this on the menu.
This is what the dish looks like when a professional chef and photographer collaborate. Mine is not like this at all. I bought what was on sale at the fish department of the local market (which was calamari, grouper and mussels) and they don't sell shrimp with the heads on it or scallops in the shell. We will see how mine turns out, I'm sure it will be delicious but it won't look like the pic here.........lol

Cheesy Cauliflower Soup

Ingredients:
* 1/4" slice Pancetta, cut into 1/4 x 1/4" pieces
* 1 cup chopped onion, red or sweet white
* 3 cups chicken broth
* 2 packages (8 ounces each) fresh cauliflowerets or 1 small head cut into florets
* 1-1/2 cups shredded pepper-Jack cheese (6 ounces)
* 1/4 cup roasted red peppers
* 1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)
* 1/4 tsp 5-spice powder
* 1/16 tsp corriander & allspice
* 1 teaspoon sirracha hot-pepper sauce
* 1/2 tsp pesto, to swirl in before serving
* Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions
I roasted everything. First the pancetta in a 400F oven for 12 mins. Remove from pan.
I then added the cauliflower florets and the chopped onion. If there isnt enough renderings from the
pancetta to coat the florets and onion add 1 tsp of olive oil. (I have a Misto Olive Oil Sprayer from
Bed, Bath & Beyond that works wonderfully in controlling the amount of olive oil I actually use.)
Return to oven for 30 mins.
Add garnishing tiny florets (about 1/4 cup) separate from already roasted veggies and roast 10 mins more.
Remove after roasting and combine with pancetta and parsley.
In stockpot bring 3 cups broth to a boil. Add roasted vegetables; return to boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low; cook about 6 minutes more. Stir in roasted peppers.
Remove soup from heat and puree with blender. Add cheese, and sirracha, stirring until melted.
Top with pancetta mix and serve.

Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
Calories: 294
Protein: 15 g
Fat: 15 g
Carbohydrates: 14 g
Exchanges: 1 Starch, 2 Medium-Fat Meat, 1 Fat

Prepped vegetables.


Diced pancetta.
Oiled, salted and peppered vegetables for roasting.

Everything into the pool.
Finished pureed soup. It turned out tastier then I expected.



Birthdays where hubby works has this unwritten office tradition that you bring in bagels or Dunkin'. I just refuse to do that so every year I make 3 quiches and 2 pans of ooyie gooyie brownies.

Every year they hear it's his B-day and they all come a runnin'. I feel good that they aren't consuming empty calories so early in the AM and if there is enough left over after everyone gets a piece the smart ones can take a lunch to their desk. I remember when 1 quiche and a small pan of brownies were enough.

I started to make tonight's soup and while the veggies were roasting, it reminded me that soon soup would be too warm to make and I got involved searching the web for non-lettuce salads. Usually in May I switch from Monday Night Soup to Monday Night Salad, but lately I just haven't been in the mood for lettuce-based salads.

I will be growing grape tomatoes so I can do a caprese once a month and when we will finally get a 75 degree Saturday we traditionally have my famous Bruschetta Day.

I get to buy a new bottle of very good EVOO and roast some garlic and grill some bread and open up a bottle of Markam Sauvignon Blanc and enjoy the best bruschetta you will ever eat. Not talking about just chopped tomatoes, basil, garlic and onions.....we are talking about

......the Ultimate Bruschetta.